Buratai Town, Not Ex-Army Chief, Hit by Insurgents — Senator Ndume Clarifies

By Admin

Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, has refuted reports claiming he said former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Tukur Buratai, narrowly escaped death in a recent Boko Haram attack.

The lawmaker clarified that it was Buratai town in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State that came under insurgent attack—not the retired General himself.

Ndume, who was reported to have made the claim during a Sunday appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, issued a personal statement on Tuesday to set the record straight. He described the media reports as a misrepresentation of his remarks and urged journalists to exercise greater accuracy in reporting sensitive matters.

“What I said on Channels TV was that even two days ago, Buratai (town) was attacked in front of the operations base in Borno. But the soldiers stood up to them. They (the insurgents) burnt down some of our assets, including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs), tanks, and heavy-duty machine guns,” Ndume explained.

He noted that the attackers sometimes steal military equipment during such raids.

Ndume expressed concern over the worsening security situation in Borno and across Nigeria, saying, “The situation is getting terrible in Borno. It’s bad in all six geo-political zones except the South-South, where we are facing economic sabotage like oil theft. The South-West is the only region that is relatively safe.”

He further cautioned the media against misreporting, particularly when it involves Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) or issues of national security.

“I am surprised that Buratai town could be misconstrued as referring to the person of General Buratai, who incidentally hails from the town,” he said.